Tame Impala’s “The Slow Rush” Mood Board

If a title like “The Slow Rush” wasn’t complicated enough for your taste, digging into the album will only help your fix. Psychedelic producer Kevin Parker, popularly known as Tame Impala, has dropped this much-anticipated album years after his last album release in 2015. The compelling instrumentals and loaded lyrics differentiate this release from his last in terms of increased intimacy and a wider scope of his darker personality beyond his previous upbeat hits. These songs follow an eclectic spectrum of moods, so I dissected the first five tracks and categorized them into one crazy mood board according to feelings and activities many of us may fall into while listening to music.

“One More Year” feels like: Endless Mania

If a worn-out, evening commute from your full-time job could be beautifully transcribed to sound, it would be “One More Year.” Beyond the telling lyrics, the feeling of “plateaued chaos” shows through the song’s looped, yet unpredictable sounds on this track; featuring this eerie, muted chant that makes up the chorus. Although it is the first track featured on the album, it is a bit harder to get into if you’re listening intently. It works well as a track that’s not inherently catchy, which puts the lyrics in a position to be looked further into.

According to Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker in an Apple Music interview about the song he, “just realized we were standing right here exactly one year ago, doing the exact same thing. We’re blissfully trapped. Our life is crazy but where is it going? We won’t be young forever but we sure do live like it. Our book needs more chapters. Our time here is short, let’s make it count. I have a plan.”

“Instant Destiny” feels like: Indecisiveness Mistaken for Spontaneity

“I’m about to do something crazy, No more delaying, No destiny is too far,” said Parker in his opening lyrics of the track. After the repetitive fog that came from “One More Year,” “Instant Destiny” is a flirty transition into the album; sonically comparable to tracks from Tame Impala’s 2012 album “Lonerism.” Reminiscent of a devoted, soft yell, this technique allows Parker’s voice to echo a more youthful sound. Whether this voice is role-playing for another or himself, his lyrical reaction shows his optimism for change and pursuing opportunity.

“Borderline” feels like: Dancing Carelessly In Public

This song just feels right. Standing as one of the catchiest tracks on the album, the basic beat follows a recognizable 8-count; making it easy for anyone to get down to. Every fifth syllable of Parker’s words is drawn out with production in this song, adding that psychedelic twist many of us know and love.

The track kicks off with Kevin Parker’s stereotypical psyche-pop instruments, featuring a warm bass that flows on and off the track. According to general fan speculation from forums about the track on Reddit and Youtube, the lyrics refer to Parker’s thoughts about his deceased father and how he chooses to cope with his father’s actions after his passing. Due to the circumstance, Parker finds relief and improper closure by choosing to talk himself through this.

“Breathe Deeper” feels like: Sitting in the Sun on a Warm Day

The quick vibrations of the piano set the tone for this piece. With its sonic wavering, I can best describe this song as an exact representation of beaming sun-rays that glitter on the skin. With every sit in the sun comes the moments of craving the shade; this song from start to finish mimics the same with an upbeat beginning to a breaking interlude of two minutes that dwindles to the calm.